A new addition to Fanuc’s ARC welding robot range is set to make automated welding more viable for manufacturers with compact floor space, but large workpieces. The ARCMate 100iD/10L can be used to boost the productivity of high-batch production lines, particularly those working with pieces larger than 1,500mm diameter. Its repeatability and quality-control capability make […]
Engineers at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) are leading the way in collaborative robotics research in a drive to help SMEs integrate the technology onto factory floors. Collaborative robots – also known as cobots – differ from conventional industrial robots in that they feature technology that allows them to operate safely […]
Applied Automation has announced that it is now an official UK distributor of products from OptoForce, On Robot and EasyRobotics. These companies produce products that work with the Universal Robots collaborative robot arms, which Applied Automation is an existing UK ‘preferred partner’. The sale of collaborative robots has seen tremendous growth in the last few […]
Congatec – a leading vendor of standardised and customised embedded computer boards and modules – has introduced a virtualised embedded computing platform for easy PLC and UI hardware consolidation. The demo platform with a hexapod robot playing a piano is based on a standard embedded hardware platform from Congatec, plus industry leading hypervisor technology from […]
Lenze has stepped up its global training programme, offering customers everything from basic service training to tailored one-day courses and immersive sessions backed by virtual machines. In a robotics context, this enables engineers to visualise how everything will work. The company offers two specific courses for robotics. Its commissioning and application training courses are tailored […]
Until recently, due to the high costs involved, robots were used mainly by large, profitable industries producing high-value commodities. Today, a revolution is changing the way we think about production: low cost robotics. In this video, Igus highlights how its robolink technology is empowering small to medium sized businesses to integrate robotic automation into a […]
Gripping systems and clamping technology specialist Schunk has welcomed a new area sales manager to its expanding UK team. As the latest addition to the team, Gerry Cook will be covering London and the South East area for clamping technology. Gerry is a self-motivated sales professional with a strong engineering background. With extensive manufacturing expertise, […]
One of the biggest challenges for robotics manufacturers is the perception that the technology is here to take the jobs of humans – but that is simply not the case. Unfortunately, the notion that automation poses a threat to jobs often overshadows the potential benefits of investing in the technology. Here, TM Robotics founder and […]
Fanuc UK has extended its family of paint robots with the launch of the light-weight P-40iA intelligent robotic arm. The latest addition to the range is ideally suited to a wide variety of painting and coating applications, and has a maximum payload and reach of 5kg and 1300mm respectively. As with all Fanuc robots, the […]
According to figures from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), global sales of robotics increased in 2016 by 18% in value and 16% in volume compared to 2015. Patrick Schwarzkopf, managing director of VDMA Robotics and Automation, sees enormous economic and social potential: “It is not a coincidence that robotics and automation are booming. They […]
In September 2017, VDMA increased its growth forecast for the current year for German robotics and automation from 7% to 11%. The industry is also booming internationally. With this positive outlook and numerous innovations ready to be shown, the world’s leading companies are going to meet at Automatica in Munich from June 19 to 22, […]
The average life expectancy is increasing. Thanks to automated production, more effective and affordable medications and therapies are made available to a wide range of patients. From June 19 to 20, 2018, the leading international trade fair Automatica in Munich will show how economically and efficiently pharmaceutical and medical products can be produced today. The […]
Advances in human-robot interaction, enabled by graphics displays, artificial intelligence and sensors, are ushering in a new generation of service robots that are easy to programme and intuitive to use. In Munich, from 19 to 22 June, 2018, Automatica will demonstrate how state-of-the-art products and systems – from flexible, collaborative robot tools to smart warehouses […]
The force with which the digital transformation is starting to steamroll automated production will be obvious at Automatica 2018, in Munich from June 19 to 22. Terms like cloud robotics, deep learning and smart production are no longer just catchwords, but instead are increasingly becoming experienced reality. The rapid development steps of digital networking into […]
Engineers at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) are leading the way in collaborative robotics research in a drive to help SMEs integrate the technology onto factory floors. Collaborative robots – also known as cobots – differ from conventional industrial robots in that they feature technology that allows them to operate safely […]
Festo has unveiled two new lightweight robotic concepts, inspired by nature. The BionicWheelBot and BionicFlyingFox are this year’s creations from the company’s Bionic Learning Network, where Festo’s experts looked at the motion of spiders and bats to navigate complex situations – from crossing rocky terrain to learning efficient flight paths. BionicWheelBot robot is based on […]
Pre-impregnation composite materials – or pre-preg composites as they’re usually known – typically take the form of heavy, floppy sheets that resemble the thick felt used for roofing purposes. Their flexibility and weight means that pre-preg composites are notoriously difficult to handle. When a pattern maker asked Simmatic to devise a reliable way of lifting […]
Sick has launched a configurable, plug-and-play 3D detection sensor based on its Visionary-T range of industrial 3D imaging cameras, harnessing the imaging power of Sick’s single-snapshot Time-of–Flight (TOF) technology for a range of detection and collision warning duties. With on-board processing, the Visionary-T DT sensor can be easily configured for a variety of applications to […]
As the plant floor has become more digitally connected, the relationship between robots and machine vision has merged into a single, seamless platform, setting the stage for a new generation of more responsive vision-driven robotic systems. BitFlow, a global innovator in frame grabbers used in industrial imaging, predicts vision-guided robots will be one of the […]
To celebrate the sale of 25,000 cobots worldwide, Universal Robots is giving away its first and only Gold Edition cobot, shipped free of cost, to the lucky customer who orders the 25,000th cobot. With its joints painted in a rich, gold-coloured finish, this Gold Edition cobot is a refreshing take on Universal Robots’s iconic blue […]
Factories populated by autonomous vehicles delivering parts and sub-assemblies across the shop floor, robots working alongside human operators to assemble customised products – all scheduled automatically by live orders placed online. While this is a utopian vision of manufacturing for many and there are certain industry sectors where the journey to smart manufacturing is a […]
Mitsubishi pictures the factories of the future
Factories populated by autonomous vehicles delivering parts and sub-assemblies across the shop floor, robots working alongside human operators to assemble customised products – all scheduled automatically by live orders placed online. While this is a utopian vision of manufacturing for many and there are certain industry sectors where the journey to smart manufacturing is a […]
Mitsubishi Electric puts robot control on the PLC rack
The increasing modularity of PLC components means that in principle life has been getting easier for systems integrators of late, with the ability to implement complete automation systems on a single backplane. However, with a host of new PLC modules making it feasible to implement full control of a complete production line without ever leaving […]
Mitsubishi extends range with first collaborative robot
At SPS IPC Drives in Nuremberg, Mitsubishi Electric demonstrated production in an Industry 4.0 environment, including a new collaborative robot, working together with an operator without safety barriers. The launch of the new collaborative MELFA robot marks the company’s first dedicated development in the area of Human-Robot Cooperation (HRC). Mitsubishi Electric says the new collaborative […]
AMRC highlights collaborative robotics research
Engineers at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) are leading the way in collaborative robotics research in a drive to help SMEs integrate the technology onto factory floors. Collaborative robots – also known as cobots – differ from conventional industrial robots in that they feature technology that allows them to operate safely […]
Applied Automation takes on three new product lines
Applied Automation has announced that it is now an official UK distributor of products from OptoForce, On Robot and EasyRobotics. These companies produce products that work with the Universal Robots collaborative robot arms, which Applied Automation is an existing UK ‘preferred partner’. The sale of collaborative robots has seen tremendous growth in the last few […]
Acrovision combines low cost cobot with vision
Acrovision is an experienced integrator of industrial barcode reading and camera vision inspection systems and have expanded their automation solutions to include collaborative robots. The company is beginning to see that cobots are having quite the revolutionary effect on vision systems. The company’s cobot offering comes from AUBO Robotics, and Acrovision is the sole distributor […]
Robotics and automation solutions: RARUK Automation is a long established expert in the supply of a wide variety of industrial robot and automation solutions for a myriad of customer applications. Among
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Food and beverage solutions at Automatica 2018
In September 2017, VDMA increased its growth forecast for the current year for German robotics and automation from 7% to 11%. The industry is also booming internationally. With this positive outlook and numerous innovations ready to be shown, the world’s leading companies are going to meet at Automatica in Munich from June 19 to 22, […]
Brillopak and Omron highlight smarter factories
In food produce environments and packhouses, the benefits of automation when it comes to workforce health and safety are uncontended. From eliminating arduous and repetitive tasks to working uninterrupted within inhospitable chilled settings, robots are most certainly the future. Case loading specialist Brillopak and industrial automation pioneer Omron explore how smart robots, hardware and software […]
Fanuc launches food-friendly robot
Fanuc UK has launched a new robot for cleanroom and food-handling environments. The M20iB/25C has been specifically designed to ISO Class 5 standards, bringing automated picking, packing and handling to applications for which hygiene and cleanliness are paramount. As well as incorporating Fanuc’s drives and controls, including advanced servo technology – which can increase cycles […]
